Page 11 of Always the Lyon Tamer

She loved him, and he knew that.Any fool would have known it; she was hardly subtle! Her stomach twisted at the memory of some of the nonsense she had said, the letter she had written him…

Yet, he had not returned her affection.If she could just get him to see her differently, to see her in a different light…

John was smiling—not at her, but at Mrs. Dove-Lyon. “A guessing game, eh? Well, that seems easy enough. What are the rules?”

“Nothing too arduous, I assure you,” said Mrs. Dove-Lyon smoothly.

Rebecca could not comprehend how she was able to speak so calmly.Did she not know she held the power to make or break Rebecca’s happiness?

“You win, you get the girl. You lose, and she can do anything she wishes with you,” said Mrs. Dove-Lyon quietly, her gaze not leaving John.

This was the culmination of their plans, and they could do no more to ensure her happiness.

If all went well, this was the moment where the rest of her life began.

If it went against her hopes and expectations…

“I am happy to play this game of yours, Mrs. Dove-Lyon, with pleasure,” said John cheerfully. “At which table is this game being played?”

Rebecca found she had been holding her breath and allowed the air out of her lungs. He had agreed. The game would be played. She would win him; she knew she would.

For the first time, she lost control and turned her head to look over at his table. John was still seated, smiling, and looking around the room to espy a guessing game table. Mrs. Dove-Lyon, on the other hand, looked just as majestic as ever.

“No table, sir, no table for you,” she said quietly. “This is a very special game, and that means you have your own special room.”

The gentlemen who had turned their backs had continued to eavesdrop, for cheers went up at the owner’s words.

“His own room?”

“Lucky devil, I’ve been coming here for three months, and I’ve never had an invitation to a room!”

“And on his first time, too,” said one with an envious look. “Someone must have their eye on you, my lad!”

Rebecca’s cheeks heated, but the gambling floor, lit only by a few candles, was thankfully dim enough to hide her emotions. No one could see her embarrassment—and of course, they could not possibly know she was the one who planned this. Mrs. Dove-Lyon never revealed her secrets nor her sources, and that meant ladies could come to the Lyon’s Den with the secure knowledge that she would act on their behalf whilst never betraying them.

John rose. “Well, it appears I have hit the jackpot! Please lead on, Mrs. Dove-Lyon. I will play this game with one of your delightful ladies.”

For the first time in their conversation, Mrs. Dove-Lyon smiled. “Yes. Yes, you will.”

She took him by the hand and pulled him along, the cheers of the gentlemen nearest them echoing.

Rebecca was careful not to watch as Mrs. Dove-Lyon took him to one of the private rooms at the end of the gambling floor. It was vital no one could connect the two of them. Not now, everything was in motion for the most scandalous night of her life.

It was impossible to steady her breathing, but she attempted it, nonetheless. Until now, there had always been a way back, but no longer. John had agreed to it, and he was in that room, waiting for her—though he did not know it.

Everything had been prepared, painstakingly agonized over to ensure her success. She had been most precise with Mrs. Dove-Lyon, and she could see now she was a woman to be trusted.

All she had to do now was keep her wits and seduce John. How hard could it be?

“Ready?”

Rebecca jumped. Once again, Mrs. Dove-Lyon demonstrated her ability to move silently.

She nodded, rising to her feet. “I am ready to tame the Lion of the Lennoxes.”

Chapter Four

John barely hadtime to register where he was, pushed as he was by Mrs. Dove-Lyon from behind, before the door closed behind him. He was alone, in a room he had no time to examine, about to play a game he did not quite understand where he could win…a woman?